LeBron to officially wear No. 6 next season

[tBBP]

It's perfectly legitimate to criticize the public persona of an athlete, even if you don't follow the team or the sport.

Sho' liz...heck, check out half the pundits that appear on the World Wide Leader.

[steelymcbeam]

boy lebron james, what a class act, this just adds to it, he could care less about honoring a number, he just wants to have the number one jersey, he is the face of the nba and that is why I cant stand the nba...

-he has been quoted saying that he wishes he could clone himself so his team could win (classy)

-tattos on his body that say "chosen one", "giften child",and "witness" among others (arrogant)

-pretends to take pictures and throws chalk up before every game (attention seeker)

-gets dunked on at a camp by a college kid and demanded to destoy all the tapes (wow)

-refusal to shake hands (bad sport)

-dances on the bench and shows no class when his team is blowing out an opponent (bad sport, attention seeker)

-says he could be a great tight end in the nfl (again, attention seeker)

-asked if he could dunk on one person, he says George Bush, meanwhile, he has no idea of any politics

now compare him to Sidney Crosby and you have a punk next to a classy athlete, but I think Crosby should be the poseterboy on how to be a professional, for people who say Crosby is a crybaby, you need to stop because all athletes whine to the officials, receivers ask for a flag before the pass is even thrown...

-

-You're saying you don't want your players to want to win?

-Oh my God. We're saying that a nickname coined by someone else and an ad campaign that has been created for you is arrogant?

-It's called FUN. Plus, the chalk serves a purpose.

-Nike wanted the tapes destroyed.

-Most athletes don't all things considered. Peyton didn't shake hands after the SB XLIV loss, correct?

-FUN. F is for friends that do stuff together. U is for you and me. N is for anything and any time at all down here in the deep blue sea.

-It's because he could be! He was a stand out tight end in high school...

-I'm sure he has more than "no idea of politics." I would dunk on Dubya too.

- so i guess it is okay to basically blast teammates by saying you wish you could clone yourself, real classy

-how many nicknames, chosen one, witness, gifted child, he appears to put every nickname he has on his body, what about "arrogant look at me guy"

- the chalk does serve a purpose, i wonder why 90% is on the floor than

-you know nike wanted them destroyed but lebron could of spoke up and said, its not big deal, we were just having FUN, you know since he has fun all the time

-add the end of normal games in hockey, baseball and bball most dont shake hands, but in a big playoff game you do, just like everyone else, I dont blame Peyton, there are a million people on the super bowl field, he called Brees up and congratulated, did lebron?

-so it seems he is having fun only when it is benefical to him, but if someone does something to him or his team he is a crybaby, sounds like a sourpuss to me, showboating on the bench when his team is up 40, but than again he dunks when his team is down by 20 in the last minute of the game and the media is on his junk making sure he is okay..

-he would get his arrogant @$% lit up in the nfl, i wish he would play, I was a good high school baseball/basketball/football player too, so that means i guess I can play in the pros than.

-i guarentee that if you asked why he would like to dunk on President Bush, lebron would make some kind of dumb reason up, because he just does not know, he just knows he likes the president now

I am just giving my opinion on the matter, lebron is arrogant and craves attention like a little preschooler, I follow college basketball, and know nothing about the nba, I just want whoever lebron james plays for to never win a title..

[BBTV]

I am just giving my opinion on the matter, lebron is arrogant and craves attention like a little preschooler, I follow college basketball, and know nothing about the nba, I just want whoever lebron james plays for to never win a title..

Or grammar apparently. It's difficult just to read your rants.

[steelymcbeam]

I am just giving my opinion on the matter, lebron is arrogant and craves attention like a little preschooler, I follow college basketball, and know nothing about the nba, I just want whoever lebron james plays for to never win a title..

Or grammar apparently. It's difficult just to read your rants.

okay maybe I missed something but what is wrong with what you bolded...do you want me to capitalize nba and add a few more commas...perhaps you can tell me what is wrong doctor, I hope the grammar police don't arrest me.

[steelymcbeam]

because if someone dislikes lebron james than they must be wrong, he is such a class act, its okay for him to be selfish, big headed, arrogant, and smoke weed to release stress.

I remember when the media/fans were in love with michael vick also, and he was the posterchild for his sport, how did that turn out...

[gEO 3b 4]

He's actully doing this for a reason, unlike Kobe Bryant's change just to do it for jersey sales or personal reasons and not to honor any one person (also rumored he chose 24 to 1-up LeBron and MJ which wouldn't surprise me from the huge ego he has).

Not only did Bryant take 24, but his olympic number was 10, one greater than MJ's 9. I was hoping James would take number 25.

LeBron can do whatever he wants, obviously, but I always wondered why he wore #23. From him entering the league it was known he would be a superstar. I would have thought he would want to make a number "his own" from the start, especially considering #23 is tied to one player more than any number in any other sport. I don't mind the likes of Marcus Camby wearing #23, but it never seemed right for LeBron. I wouldn't look into this as LeBron deciding to stay with the Cavs, either. I imagine he hasn't decided yet, just covering the bases.

23 was already associated with LeBron prior to him entering the league. He wore 23 and High School and was already nationally recognized with that number.

As for him changing to 6, I thought it was odd when he changed his olympic uniform from 9 to 6 for the 2008 games, but if he's trying to honor Jordan then I respect that. As for in the NBA, I think it's unfair if he stays with Cleveland, just as I felt when Kobe changed his number. I had already associated Kobe so strongly with number 8 that it took a long time for me to get used to seeing him in number 24. In LeBron's case though, I'm hoping it's a moot point and he'll be wering that number 6 in Knicks blue and orange

[Glover]

because if someone dislikes lebron james than they must be wrong, he is such a class act, its okay for him to be selfish, big headed, arrogant, and smoke weed to release stress.

I remember when the media/fans were in love with michael vick also, and he was the posterchild for his sport, how did that turn out...

So are you implying that Lebron kills dogs?

[rams80]

because if someone dislikes lebron james than they must be wrong, he is such a class act, its okay for him to be selfish, big headed, arrogant, and smoke weed to release stress.

I remember when the media/fans were in love with michael vick also, and he was the posterchild for his sport, how did that turn out...

I'd like to thank you for making my insane hatred of Jerome Bettis seem rational.

[powersurge]

He's actully doing this for a reason, unlike Kobe Bryant's change just to do it for jersey sales or personal reasons and not to honor any one person (also rumored he chose 24 to 1-up LeBron and MJ which wouldn't surprise me from the huge ego he has).

Not only did Bryant take 24, but his olympic number was 10, one greater than MJ's 9. I was hoping James would take number 25.

LeBron can do whatever he wants, obviously, but I always wondered why he wore #23. From him entering the league it was known he would be a superstar. I would have thought he would want to make a number "his own" from the start, especially considering #23 is tied to one player more than any number in any other sport. I don't mind the likes of Marcus Camby wearing #23, but it never seemed right for LeBron. I wouldn't look into this as LeBron deciding to stay with the Cavs, either. I imagine he hasn't decided yet, just covering the bases.

23 was already associated with LeBron prior to him entering the league. He wore 23 and High School and was already nationally recognized with that number.

As for him changing to 6, I thought it was odd when he changed his olympic uniform from 9 to 6 for the 2008 games, but if he's trying to honor Jordan then I respect that. As for in the NBA, I think it's unfair if he stays with Cleveland, just as I felt when Kobe changed his number. I had already associated Kobe so strongly with number 8 that it took a long time for me to get used to seeing him in number 24. In LeBron's case though, I'm hoping it's a moot point and he'll be wering that number 6 in Knicks blue and orange

In all fairness, even though it was true that he was associated with the number before entering the league it was widely known that he wore it in honor of Jordan just like the other 1000 NBA wannabes and billion other crappy playground basketball players....how original indeed.

I don't see what the big deal is about wearing the number 23 anyway. Maybe they should take a page from soccer and give the number 23 to the best player on the team just like they do in soccer with the number 10.

[jalpz9]

So does LJ filing paperwork to change his number mean he is staying put in Cleveland?

I mean if he was planning on leaving, there really wouldn't be any need for him to file paperwork with the league this far in advance right? When players go to a new team, they are free to choose any number they want, correct?

[rams80]

So does LJ filing paperwork to change his number mean he is staying put in Cleveland?

Not necessarily. This is just a simple covering of one's bases. That or he figured he'd remind everyone he's a free agent this offseason.

[steelymcbeam]

because if someone dislikes lebron james than they must be wrong, he is such a class act, its okay for him to be selfish, big headed, arrogant, and smoke weed to release stress.

I remember when the media/fans were in love with michael vick also, and he was the posterchild for his sport, how did that turn out...

I'd like to thank you for making my insane hatred of Jerome Bettis seem rational.

that is what is so great about being an American, you have your own opinion. I don't like lebron james because of reasons i mentioned above, some people like him, some don't, that is what makes the world go round.

[TheOldRoman]

In all fairness, even though it was true that he was associated with the number before entering the league it was widely known that he wore it in honor of Jordan just like the other 1000 NBA wannabes and billion other crappy playground basketball players....how original indeed.

I don't see what the big deal is about wearing the number 23 anyway. Maybe they should take a page from soccer and give the number 23 to the best player on the team just like they do in soccer with the number 10.

I don't have a problem with a crappy of even decent player wearing number 23. But when you are an icon and international brand, you should have your own relatively unique number. No matter how well James would have done in his career wearing 23, people would always associate it with Jordan first.

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

But when you are an icon and international brand, you should have your own relatively unique number.

Well, no. There are only so many numbers; it is inevitable that any given number will end up associated with more than one great player.

Think Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe with no. 9. Think Bradshaw, Staubach, and Namath, all with no. 12. None of these guys is diminished because his iconic number is also that of another player. Remember that, when Reggie Jackson came to the Yankees, he chose to wear no. 44 precisely because it was associated with one great player in particular, Henry Aaron. (Though it had also been associated during the same period with Willie McCovey.)

LeBron can obviously do what he wants; but I think that he has the wrong idea, and that David Beckham -- who took no. 23 in honour of Jordan -- has the right one.

[BBTV]

23 will always be Heath Sherman to me. As far as I'm concerned, those players are just wearing it as a tribute to him.

[TheOldRoman]

But when you are an icon and international brand, you should have your own relatively unique number.

Well, no. There are only so many numbers; it is inevitable that any given number will end up associated with more than one great player.

Think Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe with no. 9. Think Bradshaw, Staubach, and Namath, all with no. 12. None of these guys is diminished because his iconic number is also that of another player. Remember that, when Reggie Jackson came to the Yankees, he chose to wear no. 44 precisely because it was associated with one great player in particular, Henry Aaron. (Though it had also been associated during the same period with Willie McCovey.)

LeBron can obviously do what he wants; but I think that he has the wrong idea, and that David Beckham -- who took no. 23 in honour of Jordan -- has the right one.

Those are great players you mentioned, but none of them were merchandising empires like LeBron, and none of them are in the running for "best player of all time" like LeBron might be. None of those guys had their own shoe and product lines. Marketing is obviously very important to him. It is more about being a giant brand name than being a great player.

I know Beckham is huge, but I don't follow soccer so I can't comment on his association to the number.

[Gothamite]

Not familiar with Beckham? Talk about your "merchandising empires".

[LEWJ]

Your welcome, LeBron haha

just kidding. I don't know how well this works. I just like the symmetry of it.

[andrewharrington]

-he would get his arrogant @$% lit up in the nfl, i wish he would play, I was a good high school baseball/basketball/football player too, so that means i guess I can play in the pros than.

Were you good enough to be First Team All-State, as a sophomore, in a state that is a hotbed for high school football? He has elite size, strength and quickness. He could probably hold his own, but he wouldn't get the ball enough and would probably make cancerous and arrogant comments about cloning himself so he could win.

[ESTONES6]

Obviously I am a die hard Cleveland fan, and as long as LeBron has Cleveland on his chest... I will root for him. That being said, his ego is off the charts. "Hand Shake-gate" was thrown completely out of proportion. I am all about being a good sport, but anyone who watches the NBA knows that there are very few "handshakes" after a game. The majority of the time, the players don't shake hands with everyone on the other team, if at all. Was the timing poor? Yes, but you also have to look at the context.

As for the changing of the number to sell more jerseys to put money in HIS pocket is 100% wrong. Part of the profit from jersey sales is spread across the entire NBA according to seniority. That means Derek Fisher gets a large junk of money from a LeBron jersey being sold than LeBron actually gets.

As for honoring MJ... I really have no idea. I could see where he would want to honor him, but I could also it being seen as him not wanting to be the OTHER #23. #6 is a little more obscure than 23. In the sports community, when people see 23, they think MJ. When people see 6, it is not the immediate connection to Dr. J or Bill Russel. To be honest, I wore the number 6 since college in both baseball and basketball, and that was to honor Mickey Mantle's original number when he came up with the Yankees.

So depending on his contracts with Nike or other clothing brands, that is where he can make the coin. Selling clothes with his new logo that they will have to redesign.